Retraction and Editorial Expressions of Concern

The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (IJIMS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record. All editorial decisions regarding corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern are guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Policy for Corrections

Corrections are issued when errors are identified in published articles that do not invalidate the overall findings but require clarification or amendment.

Editorial Procedure:

1. Assessment of Error Severity
   The Editorial Board evaluates whether the identified error affects the interpretation, validity, or scientific conclusions of the article.
2. Author Communication
   Corresponding authors are formally notified and requested to submit verified corrections with supporting documentation, where applicable.
3. Publication of Correction Notice
   A clearly labelled correction notice is published, specifying the nature of the error and the corrected information.
4. Article Linking and Transparency
   The correction notice is permanently linked to the original article to ensure transparency and traceability.
5. Indexing and Metadata Updates
   Relevant metadata are updated in indexing and archiving services (e.g., CrossRef, Google Scholar), where applicable.
6. Post-Correction Oversight
   The editorial team monitors the corrected publication to ensure compliance with ethical and academic standards.

Retraction Policy

IJIMS enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward research misconduct.

Articles may be retracted under the following circumstances:

• Plagiarism or self-plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Unethical research practices
• Serious authorship or conflict-of-interest violations

Retraction Process:

• Retractions are approved by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board.
• A retraction notice is published, stating the reasons for retraction.
• The original article remains accessible but is clearly marked as Retracted to preserve the scholarly record.
• In cases of confirmed misconduct, IJIMS may notify authors’ affiliated institutions, employers, or funding agencies.

Editorial Expressions of Concern

An Editorial Expression of Concern may be issued when serious questions arise regarding a published article and an investigation is ongoing.

Such notices may be published in cases involving:

• Suspected ethical violations
• Methodological or data integrity concerns
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• Allegations requiring institutional inquiry